hanging into return pump area?

[mess7777]

I am thinking about how to fit an ATS into my sump. The best idea I can come up with due to space constraints is to hang it over two sections of my sump divided by a piece of acrylic. One part is the refugium, the other is the return section. Is there a concern with algae slipping off and blocking the return? My sump could handle the volume if this happened, but would prefer to plan differently if this would be a big concern.

Thanks.

[Floyd R Turbo]

Pics of sump might help

[mess7777]

This is approximately what it looks like. I want to hang it lengthwise across the refugium/return section. I have a center brace in the stand which means I lack vertical space right in the middle. For that reason it would have to be on the left side into refugium, or right side into return section.

I am thinking the return section would be easier as the water level in both sections is equal.

Thanks

[SantaMonica]

Your bubble remover is backwards; it should be under-over-under.

[Floyd R Turbo]

actually that's not true. Look at these

http://www.melevsreef.com/allmysumps.html

Almost every sump I've seen has it this way. I see your point, but with it under-over-under you end up with stagnant scummy water on top of the sump.

[SantaMonica]

Maybe, but the under-over-under gives twice the bubble removing power, whereas the over-under-over gives only one. Also, whenever the water goes down, it should be in a big wide area, to slow the flow, so the bubbles are not drawn down; the up-portion can be thin and high-flow, since high flow upwards does not matter, since the bubbles are already going up. So the under-over-under actually gives more than twice the bubble removal.

The over-under-over does not even need the third wall; it does nothing, since the bubbles are going up anyway.

[Floyd R Turbo]

Kind of, but the 3rd wall in the over-under-over forces whatever bubbles make it through to the surface, and then if the return pump is down as shown, the bubbles will not be as likely to be drawn into the pump, they will more likely make it to the surface.

For a scrubber-based sump system however, you are right. I'm with you on the concept, but I find it interesting that sumps have been made like this for who knows how long, and the purpose of those up/downs is to remove bubbles. Also I believe the purpose is to promote skimming of the surfaces of water in the sump as this is where crud collects.

[mess7777]

thought I replied here already?

Anyway, what about the original question? As it turns out I have only a partition and no bubble trap anyway, this was just a design!